From June 18 through September 30, 2017, the mission museum will feature an exhibit of photographs by award-winning photographic artist Craig Alan Huber.

The luminous black and white photos are drawn from Huber’s 2015 book, The Spirit Within Saint Junípero. Through his photographs, Huber has attempted to chronicle Junípero Serra’s spiritual journey. The photos are taken on 5×7 inch plates, using a platinum and silver process that produces rich contrasts.

The artist visited Mission San Juan Bautista in 2013 to take photographs in the mission church. Some of these photos are included in his book, and in the exhibit at the mission. Other photos were taken in locations that played an important role in Serra’s life, including Mallorca, Spain, Sierra Gorda, Mexico, and California.

On July 1, 2017 (the Feast Day of Saint Junípero Serra), the mission will be hosting a reception for the artist from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. For details, contact the mission gift shop at 831-623-4528 / giftshop@oldmissionsjb.org

In the early 50’s, Knott’s Berry Farm, an amusement park in Buena Park, California, commissioned a series of models of the California missions. The models were displayed for many years, but were retired in 1998.

The mission models deteriorated in storage, but after a three-year restoration effort, they are now being placed on display once again. The models were restored by Bob Weir, a veteran wood carver who has been employed at Knott’s for more than 20 years.

Each of the models – some as large as 12×12 feet – is displayed in it’s own small “hut.”

In addition to their historical and educational value, the models hold a sentimental attraction for many visitors who saw them as children.

One of our favorite California Missions is featured in the Fall 2016 issue of Via Magazine. The answer to the “mystery spot” puzzle that appears on the last page of the magazine is Mission San Juan Bautista.

The clues provided say that the mystery location was the setting for the climactic scene in Hitchcock’s classic 1958 film, Vertigo. Unfortunately, nothing is said about the beauty or the historic significance of the mission itself.

If you’d like to contribute to the preservation of this beautiful and historically important mission, please visit savemissionsjb.com

A group of scholars and government officials from the United States and Mexico met at the University of California at Riverside to discuss the cultural significance of preservation of the Spanish missions.

The 21 California Missions are actually an extension of a long string of missions that run the length of the Baja California peninsula. Mexico considers the Spanish missions to be an important part of their cultural heritage, and preservation efforts and funded by the Mexican government. In California, the missions do not receive State or Federal funding, so preservation efforts must be funded by the church or by private donations.

The goal of the meeting, which was organized by the UC-Mexico Initiative’s Arts and Cultures Working Group, was to discuss the importance of the missions to local communities today, and explore ideas for coordinating and improving preservation efforts. The meeting also highlighted efforts by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to designate El Camino Real – the cultural route that connected Baja California with upper California – as a UNESCO World Heritage site.